It Had to Be You
by frozenmango
Summary: From the time they were kids, You and Chika were inseparable. As they journey through their lives together, from their first meeting to their adventures as school idols, You can't help but wonder one thing. Why did she have to fall in love with her best friend?
1. Meeting You

**AN: It took a while, but here it is. This is the first part of a rather long oneshot I've been writing for the past...two weeks or so? I saw a prompt on Tumblr and I instantly fell in love with it (here it is if you want to see:** **post/ 141339331837/ i-just-have-such-a-profound-need-for-best-friend). And of course, I thought of these two. God, they're adorable-they need more love, really. But I digress.**

 **As said earlier, this is the first part of a really long oneshot that I'm still currently in the making of writing, actually. But, unlike my other multi-chaps, it's going to be very short (or at least, I _pray_ it's going to be short), ranging to about five chapters or so if I actually stick to the mental schedule I set myself. But that's subject to change.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Forgive mistakes if you see any; it's been a tiring couple of weeks for me.**

 **Ciao. c:**

* * *

You remembered the first time she met Chika.

She liked to think it was a chance meeting—had she arrived too early, she wouldn't have seen Chika at all; if she had arrived too late, who knew where that girl would have gone. And You, being the secret hopeless romantic she was, liked to believe that fate was guiding her, pulling the strings in such a way to beckon her to go to the park that particular day on that particular time. She would describe it as destiny….

Destiny translating into: a little orange-haired girl sprinting down the slide, stumbling over her own two feet, then landing flat on her face with a _smack!_

At first, You didn't know how to react. She expected the girl to start sobbing or, at the very least, sit up—and _then_ start sobbing. But instead, the girl stayed where she was, face-to-face with the tanbark of the playground. Now You was beginning to worry; was this girl…dead? The thought, although horrifying to think let alone _imagine,_ was exactly what gave You the courage to tiptoe over to the fallen girl, the chunks of wood crinkling under every step.

"U-um," You stammered, finally reaching the girl after an excruciatingly long minute. "A-are you okay?"

Instantly, the girl pushed herself up from the floor and clambered to her feet. You had to lean back quickly in order to avoid slamming her face against the other girl's head.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine!" The girl exclaimed as she grinned.

The thing was she wasn't: tanbark clung onto her orange hair, which was standing at attention in all the wrong places; there were two angry cuts, both vibrantly pink, that marred her right cheek; a small trickle of blood was beginning to leak down her nostril; and perhaps, the most glaring detail of all, was the chipped front tooth that destroyed what could have been a charming smile.

But if the girl said she was fine, then she was fine—or that's what You tried to tell herself.

Apparently the girl caught onto You's silence and wiped the blood off with the back of her hand, smearing a thick, red line across her left cheek. The girl gave an even bigger grin, this time with a thumbs-up.

Yeah. She wasn't fine.

"Here," You said as pulled out a bandage from her pocket, "I'll put this on the cut on your face."

Although the girl pouted, clearly disappointed that her assurances had completely and utterly _failed_ , she surprisingly didn't voice her qualms at all. She stood there and allowed You to do her work, and when You took a step back, the girl touched the bandaged cuts with a blank face.

It didn't take long for her grin to come back in full force. "You're good at this! You're like Shima-nee and Mito-nee!"

You couldn't help the small flush of pride in her chest. "I learned it from my dad."

"Is your dad like, a super-cool doctor or something?"

"W-well, no. He's a captain of a boat."

" _Whoa,_ a _captain?!"_ The girl's eyes grew wide with awe and wonder.

You nodded.

"That's so _cool!_ I wish my family did something like that, but instead we run a _ryokan._ I mean, it's not _bad,_ but it's not as cool as being a _captain,_ you know?"

You nodded a little more enthusiastically. "Yeah, I do. I want to be a captain just like my dad when i grow up."

The girl's grew impossibly bigger. "Whoa, you already know what you want to be when you grow up?"

"Uh-huh," You said as she smiled; she liked talking to this girl. "What do _you_ want to be when you grow up?"

The girl held her chin in her fingers and closed her eyes tightly. She wrinkled her expression into one of taut concentration, then began to hum as if doing so would make her answer come any faster. Then like a lightbulb, she broke into a grin and placed a fist atop the palm of her other hand.

"A mikan!" She declared.

It took a while for You to find her words and even longer for her to say them. "A-a what?"

"A mikan! Like that one, right above you!" You arched her neck, and, there it was, a dangling mikan hovering a good six feet or so from the ground.

"Why a mikan?"

"Because that's my favorite food! I _loooove_ mikans so much!" A nervous giggle compelled You to straighten her neck so that she was able to look at the girl. "It's why I jumped off the slide."

Now You was confused (later on in her life, she wondered how she even _understood_ any of the conversation). "Why _what_?"

"Well, you see," the girl looked up to stare at the fruit, "I've wanted a mikan since this morning, but since we didn't have anymore I decided that after school I would go and find one to eat! And i saw that one and thought it was perfect, but it was too high for me, so I thought that if I ran super fast down the slide and then jumped, I would be able to get the mikan! You know, like in the video games!"

Ah. Now _that_ explained everything. But that raised the question of—

"Why didn't you just climb the tree?" You asked.

"Because I fell from a tree one time, and now my mom doesn't want me climbing trees," the girl said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

But before You could say anything else, a cry from the distance cut her off.

"Chiiika! Come heeere! We're going hooome!"

"Oh, that's Mito-nee!" The girl named Chika said, beaming. "I have to go now, but it was super fun meeting you! Thanks for everything!" They exchanged waves as Chika ran off to her sister, and You stayed where she was, waving, as a grin began to gradually take its place on her face.

Chika.

It was a cute name.

-X-

The next time You met Chika was at school.

All the other kids were running, jumping, sometimes even hitting each other. It was a maelstrom of chaos, with the teacher trying to settle everyone down, but in the eye of the storm sat a small You, drawing all by herself.

Now, You wasn't a lonely child or anything. There were times where she would play with the other children in her class, and she would always have a fun time doing so. But such things were only temporary, and when the next day came and You tried to play with them again, they had already moved on to another person, leaving You to stand outside awkwardly before inevitably deciding to head back inside.

That's why she didn't like it when her mother asked how her friends were—it was because she didn't have any.

That was, until today.

"Whazzat?"

You never took her eyes off her paper. "A ship," she said as she drew the hull.

"Whoa, it's really good!"

You stopped and scrutinized her own drawing. Like any other child's drawing, it was primitive: the lines were crooked, faded outlines of erased mistakes still showed, and the most complex part of the boat was the bent triangle that served at its flag.

To be honest, You couldn't find the charm in it—it wasn't exceptionally well-done, nor was it horrendously bad. It was just...okay.

"It's not _that_ good," You finally said before scribbling her surname on the hull of the ship.

"But it really is, though! I can tell you tried your bestest to draw it, and you didn't give up. That's what really matters. That's what Mom always tells me!"

You hummed, thinking it over. Then, oh-so slowly, she began to feel the faintest swell of pride in her chest.

Yeah. Maybe it _wasn't_ so bad.

"Yeah, i guess it's okay," You said as she turned in her seat. Her mouth was open to add onto her previous sentence, but her words died in her throat when she saw who it was.

Chika, whose orange hair was now free of tanbark and whose cuts were now fading, gave You a chipped-tooth grin.

"Hi!" Chika exclaimed, giving a salute as a greeting.

You gave a dumb nod in exchange. "H-hi."

"I didn't know you go to this school!"

"I didn't know you go here, either."

Chika laughed, a light and airy laugh. You felt herself becoming entranced by such a sound.

"Where do you live?" Chika suddenly asked, rocking her weight back and forth like a boat at sea.

"N-Numazu," You stammered; Chika's bluntness always caught her off-guard.

"Whoa, all the way in _Numazu?_ That's so _far!_ How do you get here?"

"My mom drives me."

At this, Chika pouted and crossed her arms with a huff. "Wow, you're lucky. I have to walk here," she said. Suddenly, her expression brightened and she broke into her trademark grin. "But I walk here with my friend Kanan! She's super fun, I think you'll like her! But she's a year older, so it's super hard to find her during school, but maybe we can go over to her house! She lives on an island, you know? Her family runs a diving shop, it's super cool. I've always wanted to go diving but…."

Chika's words faded into the distance as You slowly zoned out. She couldn't believe it—this girl, the same one she met at the park, was actually _talking_ to her. To be honest, You couldn't help but feel happy; this was the first time in a while anyone from the outside approached her in school.

It felt nice.

"—ey. Hey. Hey." After each word, You felt a poke on her forehead. She blinked several times, gathering herself from her thoughts. The insistent poking stopped, and Chika grinned once more. "I never got your name," she said.

"I didn't?"

"Nope!"

"Uh, well, it's You."

"You…." Chika repeated. It was as if she was tasting something new for the first time and couldn't get a grasp on the flavor. Eventually, she looked as if she liked it and smiled, one that was tamer than the other ones she had given. "I'm Chika! I really like your name. It's really cute."

You could feel her cheeks filling with blood as she beamed. "T-thanks."

But inside, she still thought that Chika was a cuter name.

-X-

From that day on, Chika and You were inseparable. They made many efforts to see each other, both in and out of school (they even took a trip to the dentist together to get Chika's tooth fixed), and as the summer breeze blew past, bringing with it the joy of vacation, the both of them were practically joined at the hip.

One particular day, the heat was overwhelming. Chika instantly decided that it was the perfect opportunity to take You out to visit Kanan, and on the first available ferry, they sailed over. During the ride, You remembered talking nonstop about her father and the adventures they had together, and Chika listened attentively. Throughout her story, You couldn't help but notice how pretty Chika's eyes were, and would oftentimes lose track of what she was saying.

It was during that conversation that You began to notice a fizzy feeling reminiscent of ocean foam in her chest.

Once they arrived, Kanan was sitting on the patio, looking over the horizon. When Chika caught sight of the older girl, she was ready to jump off the ferry and swim the rest of the way to hug her friend. The only thing that held her back was You's tight grip around her waist. But once the boat docked, Chika wasted no time and sprinted her hardest to tackle Kanan into the tightest embrace she could muster. They exchanged casual greetings, and Kanan eventually turned to You, who was awkwardly but happily watching them.

"Chika talks a lot about you," was the first thing that Kanan said to You.

Chika made a noise, one that was caught between a scoff and a gasp. "K-Kanan!" From her voice, You could tell that Chika was thoroughly embarrassed, and there was no doubt that her face was as red as her eyes.

The image of Chika blushing was enough to make You's pale face fill with burgundy.

Eventually, after much light-hearted bickering from Kanan and Chika (You could really feel the sisterly love between them; it made her feel a tad envious of their relationship, for some reason), all three of them decided to swim in the ocean. Despite Chika's protests and futile attempts to go deeper, they stayed near the shore, where Kanan assured it was perfectly safe.

"You-chan, look!" Chika called out as she adjusted her goggles. You did the same, and Chika ducked under the surface of the water. You took a big gulp of air and held it, before following suit.

It took a moment for You to get a bearing on her surroundings. She blinked, once then twice, before the image of Chika became focused.

You couldn't believe her eyes.

Chika was there, curled into a little ball, her cheeks puffed and her red eyes shimmering behind her goggles. Her short orange hair was now floating freely in the water, swaying with the waves above, each strand dancing its own routine. The filtered sun shone down on Chika as she waved, her movements sluggish yet graceful. You couldn't help the urge but wave back. In that moment, she was reminded of the stories her father would tell her about the beautiful creatures that lived inside the ocean, creatures of mystery and of unspeakable wonder. Her father would swear to her that such creatures were real, and You would always shake her head and play along, never once believing him.

But as she stared at Chika, You felt foolish for not taking his word.

-X-

Later on that day, after their adventure of the day came to a close and they sailed back, Chika and You sat on the beach of Uchiura. The sun was resting on the horizon, and the sky was a beautiful tapestry of reds, oranges, and indigoes. Such a sight being coupled with the sound of the ocean's waves almost lulled You to sleep.

The only thing keeping her awake was the girl sitting beside her.

"It's so pretty," Chika muttered, never taking her eyes off the sunset.

You nodded dumbly. "Yeah…."

"You think your dad can see this?"

The thought coaxed a small smile from You. "Uh-huh. He always told me and Mom that no matter how far away he was, we would always stare at the same sky and at the same ocean."

"Wow, your dad's really smart."

"He really is," You agreed. Suddenly, a question, one that had been nagging at her mind for a while now, struck and she turned to Chika. "Where's your dad?"

Chika's peaceful expression suddenly chilled into a stoic mask., and the luster in her red eyes dulled. "He's gone," she said quietly.

For a moment, the crash of the waves was the only thing filling the silence.

"I'm sorry," You finally muttered. Chika smiled somberly and gave a quiet chuckle as she shook her head.

"It's okay," Chika said, "We've gotten used to it."

"...is it lonely?"

"No. I have a lot of people with me. I have Mito-nee and Shima-nee and Mom and Kanan and Kanan's friends, and now I have you. I'm surrounded by a lot of people that make me really happy. But sometimes," Chika's smiled faded and she trailed off.

"Sometimes…?"

"Sometimes it feels empty. I don't know. I'm probably saying weird stuff," Chika said. She gave a laugh, but instead of the airy gaiety You was so used to, this one was heavy and cynical.

You didn't like it.

So, she scooted over so that she was much closer to Chika, and rested her head on her friend's shoulder. A light weight gently leaned against her.

"You probably think I'm weird, huh?" Chika asked, her voice _just_ above a whisper.

"No," You began, "i get like that too."

"Hey, You-chan?"

"Mm?"

"We're going to go to middle school soon."

"I know."

"Is it selfish of me to ask you to stay by my side?"

You shook her head, laughing. She couldn't help it; the thought of staying by Chika's side made her heart soar higher than the birds overhead. "No. I wouldn't mind that."

"How about staying forever?"

"I wouldn't mind that either."

"How about getting married?" At this point, Chika's familiar humor slipped into her tone, and You laughed at such a suggestion.

"Of course I wouldn't mind," You said with a grin.

She meant every word.


	2. Growing Up With You

**AN: Ah, it's been a while, but here I am! Another update! A miracle! Having no school is a miracle because I can just focus on updating...hopefully.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading and sticking with me.**

 **Ciao. c:**

* * *

The next big event was during the last couple of days of their elementary school life. Chika and You were going to Chika's house. They took their usual route, which meant they had to pass the park where they first met in order to reach the _ryokan_. Whenever it came into sight, the both of them would pause for a moment and gaze at the park, basking in nostalgic silence. You always felt old whenever they stopped, despite knowing that their life was just beginning in the long run. It was weird, and, truthfully, the thought scared her a bit.

And whenever You was scared, she always felt the urge to reach out for Chika's hand.

Today was no different—except for the fact that it was _Chika_ who reached out, not You.

At first, You was taken aback, but she recovered quickly enough to give a faint squeeze. Chika never took her eyes off the empty playground, but reciprocated the gesture, tightening their hold. You was able to feel the faint beat of their shared pulse.

"Is something the matter?" You asked as she glanced over to her friend. Chika's face was mostly blank, save for the wrinkle in between her eyebrows.

"No, I'm just thinking," Chika said. Her voice sounded distant despite their proximity, and You gripped onto Chika just a little stronger. The continued beating they held in their hands gave You something to find solace in.

"Thinking about what?"

"The day we met," Chika turned to You, and a smile cracked open her mask. "It feels like a long time ago, doesn't it?"

You couldn't help her own crooked smile, either. "Yeah. I always feel old whenever we walk by the park."

Chika laughed an airy laugh, but You could sense the hidden weight underneath its gaiety. "You do?"

"Yeah, why? Do _you_ get it?"

Chika nodded, that rambunctious strand of hair of hers bobbing up and down with her movement. "It's weird. I feel like a grandpa."

"Why a grandpa? Why not a grandma?"

Chika's smile grew just a little larger. "Mom says that grandpas always talk about the past."

You didn't get it, but chose to laugh anyways—she made a mental note to ask her mom to see if it's true.

"Can you believe that we're going to middle school?" Chika asked, averting her gaze back to the playground.

"You keep saying that," You said with a chuckle, peeking over Chika's shoulder to see what held her attention so raptly. However, the playground was desolate as usual, and You could feel confusion bubbling in her chest.

"I mean, think about it," Chika continued, "Elementary's done, middle school is going to be over in a flash, and then we'll be in highschool, and then after that, we'll be going to universities. And they might be different ones too. And the thought of us being separated makes me really, really sad, you know?" She tightened her hold on You's hand once again, up to the point where You felt the dull prickle of pain. "I really want to do something that'll last forever. So that when we look back on it, we can get happy memories. Like when we look at the park."

It took a long, long time for You to respond. She tossed and turned Chika's words in her mind, trying to digest her friend's words. She tasted the flavors of nostalgia and sentimentality, and tried her best to find the words to she wanted to say to Chika. However, nothing was good enough, and You opted to squeeze Chika's hand once more; it was only during times like these that this side of Chika came out, and You always worried for her.

And whenever You was worried, she always felt the urge to reach out for Chika's hand.

"Hey Chika-chan," You began, putting on a smile as she leaned forward to enter Chika's line of sight, "do you want to go on the slide?"

Chika's adorable smile, the one that never failed to bring light to any room, was all the confirmation You needed.

So hand-in-hand, they walked towards the slide, whose gleam was dimmer than You remembered, but still shined with childlike excitement. Walking on the tanbark was a familiar sensation as well; You found a strange sense of comfort whenever she heard the crunching of wooden bits under her feet. Coupled that with a whimper-

Wait, what?

You stopped first, and it took a moment for Chika to stop as well.

"What is it, You-chan?" Chika asked as she looked over to her friend.

You frowned and tilted her head to the side. "Didn't you hear it?"

Chika tilted her head in the opposite direction. "Hear what?"

"It was like a whine or something," You said, keeping her voice low so that she would be able to pick up something, anything, that resembled the noise from earlier.

Chika did the same, and the both of them fell into a concentrated silence. After a minute or two, Chika huffed out of her nose. "I don't hear anything, You-chan. Maybe it's just your—ah!" With lightning-fast reflexes, she quickly pointed at a cluster of bushes. You whipped her head to see what it is.

A shaggy puppy with white fur and a tint of beige whimpered again as it stood on three of its legs, raising its fourth to keep its paw off the ground.

"A dog," You said, stating the very obvious.

"It looks hurt," Chika turned to You, eyebrows knitted with concern and worry. "You can do something, right?"

You blinked several times. "Do something? Like first-aid?"

Chika nodded. "Yeah. Like when you put those bandages on my face when we first met."

You frowned; her father never taught her how to treat sprains, let alone on an _animal_. "Well, uh," You flickered her gaze between the puppy and Chika as she desperately tried to find something to do—after all, she didn't want to let down Chika, of all people. "I _guess_ I can try…."

Chika's blinding grin turned on at max brightness. "Really?!"

You returned it with a weak one of her own. "R-really."

"You're the best, You-chan! You really can do anything!"

You could feel her weak smile tremble in the wind; she certainly didn't _feel_ like the best, that was for sure. But she gathered herself, taking a breath when she deemed necessary, before approaching the injured pup cautiously. The crunch of the tanbark made You cringe for once. One wrong step and the dog would bolt before she would even have a chance to examine it.

But the dog stayed where it was (because, honestly, how far can an injured puppy go?), and You slowly crouched down.

"Hey," she cooed with a smile, "mind if I look at your paw?" She outstretched her hand. The dog tilted its head to the side, panting and whimpering, before getting the message and extended it as far as it could. The paw hung limply in the air and, from this distance, You was able to spot the faintest splotch of red tainting its white fur.

You chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn't know what to do. After all, she didn't work with animals. She didn't know if mending a paw was the same as treating a cut, or if it was something else entirely. She knew she should take it to a vet, or at least someone who _worked_ with animals….

But what would she tell Chika? Chika was counting on her, after all. If You admitted she couldn't do something, then what would Chika think—

"You-chan?"

You jolted when she felt someone squeeze her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Chika staring at her with a small, sympathetic smile. "It's okay if you can't do anything," Chika began. "We can just take it to a doctor or something."

You could only nod her head once. "Sorry I couldn't do it," she mumbled quietly, a sinking feeling of disappointment drowning her gut.

"No, don't be," Chika said as she bent down to scoop the puppy in her arms, "because in the end, I still think you're the best." She gave You that beautiful smile of hers, the one that shone like the sun. You could only reply with a weak smile, one that flickered like a candle.

You didn't deserve to be called the best—she should be calling Chika that.

-X-

Soon, summer rolled around again as it always did, bringing with it fun and shenanigans with Chika and Kanan. During this time, the dog they had saved was adopted by Chika and her family, and they fondly named him Shiitake because the shaggy bangs that covered his eyes reminded them of a mushroom's cap (You didn't see _how,_ but she decided to roll with it). And as usual, the vacation ended as soon as it began, and the both of them entered middle school. They had ended up in different classes, but that didn't stop them from seeing each other during their breaks. Even when they joined different clubs, You going to the Swimming Club and Chika being left undecided, they always made time for one another, with Chika waiting and watching You during her club activities.

You loved it when Chika came to her practices; she always did her best every time Chika was there to support her.

However, there was a time when Chika's attendance began to dwindle. It started off with viable excuses, like Chika had to go watch over the _ryokan_ for the day or she needed to study for a make-up exam, but eventually her excuse boiled down to something You thought she would never hear.

"I…just gotta go."

You would have been lying if she said those words didn't hurt.

From then on, Chika's absence was beginning to get to You. During school hours, Chika was absolutely fine—she was still the dimwitted, loveable, mikan-obsessed friend that You knew. But once the final bell of the day rang, Chika would gather her things quickly before walking out the door without another word in You's direction.

To say that You was concerned about this sudden change of behavior would be an understatement.

So, of course, You decided to confront her precious friend about it one day after school. That is, if she could catch up to her.

"Chika-chan!"

Chika didn't stop. In fact, it seemed like she picked up her pace.

"Chika-chan, wait!"

It was only when You grabbed Chika's wrist did she stop.

"Chika-chan," You began, "what's wrong…?"

Chika turned around slowly. She wore a smile that she didn't have the strength to hold up; the corners of her lips were wavering.

"Nothing," she said, her tone surprisingly clear. You had to admit it—Chika was good at hiding what she truly felt.

"No, it's not nothing," You asserted as she shook her head. "You've been acting weird lately, Chika-chan, and it's starting to worry me a bit."

At this, Chika's smile crumbled like a pastry. Her sparkling red eyes dulled as she looked off to the side.

"Really, it's nothing," she mumbled.

Now You was getting irritated. "What do you mean—"

"Let's have a sleepover."

The suggestion was so out-of-the-blue that You's irritation melted away, and her thought process froze over. Her mouth hung agape like a fish, her question half-dead on her tongue.

"W-what?" She stammered.

"A sleepover," Chika looked back at her, a grin etched on her face as if nothing ever happened. "It's been awhile since we last had one, right?"

"W-well yeah, but—"

"Come on, You-chan," Chika's expression hardened just a bit, but her smile was still in tact. "Just once!"

"Chika-chan, you're avoiding the question—"

Chika's smile melted away completely this time. "You-chan," she mumbled. Her tone made it sound like a plea, her eyes practically _begging_ for a simple "Yes." You could feel her will wavering, _especially_ when Chika quirked her lips up in the tiniest of smiles.

"…Fine," You reluctantly agreed. "But—"

"Great!" Chika broke into another grin. If anyone else were in her position, You knew that the return of Chika's energy would fool anyone into thinking that her friend was happy to get a confirmation for their last-minute plans.

But You knew Chika well enough to know that she was only happy to change the subject.

Before she knew it, You was exchanging her reluctant goodbyes with Chika's energetic ones. Before she knew it, You was watching Chika walk down the hallway, her back growing smaller and smaller until she disappeared from sight as she turned a corner. Before she knew it, You felt something digging into her chest, carving out a hole in her heart that filled her with emptiness.

When she finally had the energy to shuffle to the pool, You had the feeling that something was up.

Practice went horribly that day.

-X-

You stared at the dark ceiling above her.

She was lying in Chika's bed. As she had promised earlier, You was spending the night over at Chika's home. She had walked from school, the scent of chlorine clinging to her, and when she approached the _ryokan_ , there was Chika waiting beside a growing Shiitake, grins on their faces.

Despite all that happened earlier, You had had to admit that the sight was very endearing to see.

Their day together went, well, normally. They had done their homework (or rather, had _attempted_ to—Chika decided to take a "break" to the ocean that lasted for more than three hours), had eaten dinner, and had talked the night away until they were too tired to hold a conversation.

Or rather, until _Chika_ was too tired to hold a conversation.

You sighed through her nose. She had been meaning to ask about Chika's strange behavior, but couldn't find the right opportunity to do so; she didn't want to ruin the mood, after all.

A loud inhale compelled You to look over at her side. In the faint moonlight streaking through the window, Chika's sleeping face greeted her.

You smiled. "How cute," she muttered, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Chika didn't stir at all; she had always been a deep sleeper.

"No, wait," Chika murmured in her sleep, "stop."

You bit her tongue to stifle a giggle. She recalled Chika sleep talking when they were younger, and if she remembered correctly, such musings would be about mikans out of all things. You began to wonder if Chika's obsession with mikan was starting to grow unhealthy.

"Wait, wait," Chika's voice was louder this time, and You caught the sharp edge of sadness in her tone. You's amusement died in her throat as dread began to build in her chest.

"Chika-chan?" You didn't even try to hide the concern in her voice as she shook Chika's shoulder gently. "Chika-chan, are you okay?"

"No, no!" Chika flinched away from You's hand as if she had been struck. "Don't, don't—"

"Chika-chan!"

Chika woke up with a jolt, her eyes wide as she looked side to side frantically. Her chest heaved as she tried to gather her breath, tears beading in the corner of her eyes.

"Wha…what…?" Her voice was meek like a child's as she slowly looked up at You with frantic confusion.

You felt her heart jolt in her chest; it was the first time she saw Chika like this.

"You're fine," You mumbled as she pulled Chika to her, resting her chin on the top of Chika's head. Chika trembled despite the layers of duvets they're buried under, and You tightened her hold on her in an effort to get her to calm down. "You're fine," she cooed, rubbing circles on the small of Chika's back. "I'm here…."

You felt Chika grab onto her, balling parts of her shirt into fists. "I thought it was real…" Chika whispered to You's chest.

"What was?" You's voice was quiet and patient as she pulled Chika even closer to her body.

"The dream," Chika let out a shaky sigh, "I thought it was real…it _felt_ so real…."

"But it isn't," You assured. Despite her good intentions, You knew that her words sounded superficial and lame. She wasn't someone who was good at comforting; Chika was the one who did that sort of thing. But what can anyone do when the comforter is the one who needs the comforting? You was at a complete loss on what to do.

So, she opted to say nothing more and rub Chika's back, lest she said something that would only make Chika's situation worse. But You couldn't help but wonder….

Just _what_ was Chika's dream about?

Curiosity got the better of her, and slowly, she relaxed her hold around Chika so that she could properly look Chika in the eye.

"Wanna talk?" You offered gently.

With the way Chika was looking at her, You was positive she was going to say no. But then, Chika's lip twitched up, resembling some sort of smile. You felt comforted at the sight; at least she knew that Chika was willing to speak.

"I, mm," Chika began, her short-lived smile fading away, "I had a dream you were being taken away from me, a-and,"—she paused to clear her throat—"I got super scared. Because I couldn't move. And you just kept getting farther a-and farther away a-and—"

"But I'm here, aren't I?" You asked, running a her fingers through Chika's hair. Chika relaxed considerably, as if melting into her touch, but You could still feel how tense Chika really was.

"I know that, but with you joining the swimming club and all…." Chika trailed off and shied away from You's hand.

Something clicked in You's mind.

"You…don't want me to join the swimming club?"

Chika's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, of course not! I completely support your decision, it's just that I, mm…kind of feel, you know…."

"Left behind?"

"Y-yeah…." A sad smile tugged at Chika's lips. "It's the first thing we aren't doing together. It's selfish of me, but watching you swim and, well, be _good_ at it makes me wish I was good enough to do it, too. So that we would be able to be together, you know?" She gave a short laugh, one so short that You could have described it as an audible sigh. "It sounds so trivial now that I say it out loud."

You shook her head. "I don't think it is."

"But—"

"Chika-chan," You began, scooting closer to Chika's warmth. The comforting, yet faint smell of mikan was stronger now. "No matter what, I'll always be by your side. So you don't have to worry about a thing, because whatever happens, I'll be right behind you, supporting you. And I know you'll do the same to me. So, please," she pressed her forehead against Chika's, and smiled when she felt a light pressure pushing back, "don't feel like I'm leaving you behind, okay? We'll always be together, full steam ahead."

Chika broke into a beautiful smile as she teared up once again, this time out of happiness. Her trembling returned, but You knew that it was because she was trying her hardest to hold back her bubbling mirth.

"I'm an idiot," Chika croaked out. "You should call me Chibaka from now on."

You laughed. "I think Chika's much cuter."

Chika made a noise that was between a laugh and a choked sob, and it was only then that You noticed the tears spilling from Chika's eyes.

"So _now_ you cry?" You asked with a tint of humor in her voice. She reached up and gently brushed away a tear mid-fall.

Chika made the noise again. "I can't help it—sometimes I don't think I deserve to have someone like you."

" _I_ should be the one saying that, not you," You chuckled and moved even closer so that their noses brushed against one another. Her head grew lighter and lighter, and she felt herself growing dizzier and dizzier; something about Chika's warmth was intoxicating.

If You ever wanted to get drunk, all she needed to do was pull Chika close to her.

"I really love you, you know?" Chika's voice was softer now, and her words began to slur together. She yawned and You tried to stifle one of her own; fatigue really was contagious.

"I love you too," You mumbled quietly, tilting her head up in order to place the softest of kisses on Chika's forehead.

"I'm really glad I met my amazing bestfriend that day," Chika whispered, her voice carrying all the sincerity in the world.

"Same here." You's response was quieter than Chika's. Her eyelids flutter closed as Chika moved up rather clumsily to give a peck on the forehead in return. Chika's lips were slightly chapped, but nonetheless soft. You's heart began to race in her chest, its beat abnormally loud. She thought she was going to have a heart attack, _especially_ when she felt Chika press against her forehead, noses grazing, warm breath buffeting her lips.

"Good night, You-chan."

"Good night, Chika-chan."

That night, the both of them fell into a blissful slumber.


	3. Year of Firsts

**AN: an update! finally! i was supposed to do update this story monthly, but life and school got in the way and i ended up taking much longer to write this than i should have. i've been feeling iffy about this chapter, ngl. i've been struggling to write lately, and i'm not sure if i'm entirely pleased with how this chapter turned out to be. i might rewrite some parts of it in the future, but as of now, i feel like it's a good time to finally update this story. i've decided to split up their high school life according to their years, unlike the other parts of their lives. their second year might be split into even more parts because that's when the rest of aqours comes into play.**

 **hope you enjoy.**

 **ciao. c:**

* * *

It was New Year's during their first-year of high school when You realized she loved Chika.

You had been spending the night over at Chika's home again, her own mother spending the day working and her father was off at sea. You didn't mind, however—she had gotten used to them being gone during the holidays. The Takami family was more than happy to have her join in their festivities. One of Chika's sisters, Shima, said sometime during the evening that Chika and You acted too much like an old married couple, and jokingly asked when the wedding date was going to be. Chika laughed it off, answering that it was going to be sometime in the springtime underneath all the falling cherry blossoms. You, on the other hand, stayed mute and felt her face burn when she imagined herself holding Chika's hand in hers, the glistening diamond of their wedding ring sparkling in the setting sun.

"Yoooooou-chaaaaaaan," Chika drawled out, pulling You out of her thoughts. Chika made her way to You via crawling. "It's almost a neeeeew yeeeeaaar…."

You couldn't help her grin as she set aside her cup of amazake. "It is," You commented. She could feel Chika clumsily wrapping her arms around her waist, and orange hair tickled her nose as Chika rested her head on her shoulder. You caught the smell of alcohol mingling with the familiar scent of mikan. She barely stifled a laugh—she couldn't believe how weak Chika's alcohol tolerance was. The amazake they were drinking had almost no alcohol in it, yet she _still_ managed to get drunk. Something in the back of You's mind told her to keep a close watch on her friend if they ever decided to go drinking when they were older.

"Hey, You-chaaaan?"

"Mm?" You hummed as she rubbed Chika's back, a gesture that comforted the both of them. "What is it?"

"Have you ever liked someone befooooooooore?"

You gave an uneasy smile. Despite knowing each other for years now, the topic of romance surprisingly never came up between them, but You knew that it was only a matter of time until they treaded into that territory. She never would have guessed she would have it with a _drunk_ Chika, though.

"Mm, I don't _think_ I have," You said, continuing her ministration on Chika's back. "Have you?"

Chika hiccupped. "I feel like it is, but I'm not too sure…."

You should have felt happy when Chika said that. She should have excitement and an urge to prod Chika for more information. That would have been the normal reaction. But instead, You felt something else. She felt fear and an overwhelming amount of sadness crash into her like a wave. Those feelings told her not to push it further, but You didn't listen—it would be suspicious of her not to.

You plastered on a smile as she stopped rubbing Chika's back. "What makes you say that?" She asked gently.

"Mm, I don't knoooooooooooooooow. Maybe it's because I haven't actually liked someone befoooooooooooore."

"Well," You paused to swallow down the lump in her throat, "what do you feel when you're around this person?"

"Gooooood queeeestion," Chika sang. You could hear the grin in her voice. "It's like…I feel suuuuper at eaaaase and I just want to be around them all the tiiiiiiiiime. And it's like I don't need to put up a baaaaaaarrier or aaaaanything, you knooooow? "

You's smile faltered. It was funny—that was exactly how she felt whenever she was with Chika.

"Heeeeey, Yoooou-chaaaaan?"

"Mm?"

"Have you ever kiiiiissed anyone?"

You felt her face flush. "Wha-what's with you—"

"Haaaaave yoooooou?"

"…No, I haven't. I mean, I never liked anyone before, let alone _date_ someone, so…."

Chika shifted as she hummed. "But you don't _haaaaave_ to be dating someone to _kiss_ them, you knooooow?"

"Well," You paused, digesting Chika's words. "You're not _wrong…."_

"I'm not wrong because I'm right!" Chika fell into a fit of drunken giggles, the sound light and sporadic like You's pulse.

"Have you?" You asked, instantly regretting it the moment she heard the words come out of her mouth.

"No…."

You gave a sigh of relief, but quickly became confused. What _was_ she being relieved about?

"But, you know," Chika paused to push herself up to look You dead in the eye, "I've always wanted to try it."

The way Chika said it made You's heart jump all the way to her throat. You swallowed, struggling to find the right words to say. "Well—um—I—"

"Want to do it, You-chan?" Chika suddenly cut in.

You stopped and blinked. The first thing You wanted to say was yes. But she shut down her desires and forced on another smile. "Shouldn't you wait and share that with someone special to you, Chika-chan?"

The gentlest of smiles crawled onto Chika's face, and You felt her heart melt like snow on a sunny day. "You _are_ special to me, You-chan."

You's smile turned somber. "You know what I mean, Chika-chan."

"I know," Chika paused as she was hit with another fit of giggles, "but I think I would still rather share it with you. They always say that the first kiss something special shared with some _one_ special. I can't think of a better person to share it with."

You swore that if this kept up any further, she was going to fall into cardiac arrest from how hard and fast her heart was pounding. "I mean, if that's what you really _want_ , then…."

But Chika stayed where she was, not moving a centimeter. "You wouldn't…hate me if I did, would you?"

"Of course not," You said with a breathy laugh. "I love you too much to hate you."

"So…you wouldn't mind?"

"Did I move?"

Chika huffed out a breath of amusement before coming closer. What little light-heartedness was in the air quickly turned to stone and dropped as Chika approached, taking with her the scent of mikan being smothered with alcohol. You's temperature rose as Chika brushed their noses together, eyes half-closed. You could feel her heartbeat in every part of her body, its pace picking up as Chika grazed their lips. That sensation of Chika's soft lips snapped something inside of You, and she quickly closed the distance between them without warning. Her sudden audacity caught the both of them off-guard, but their surprise was fleeting as You felt Chika melt into the kiss.

You couldn't believe what was happening. She was kissing Chika. She was _kissing Chika_ and _by God_ did she enjoy it. Chika's lips were _so_ soft, her scent _so_ intoxicating, her warmth _so_ scalding. You could feel her head growing lighter and lighter, her thoughts flatlining.

However, Chika suddenly pulled back. You's shut eyes shot open, only to see Chika lean over once more, but this time to rest her head on her shoulder. The sound of light snoring filled the air. You was baffled. How in the world could Chika just _sleep_ after that?

But, then again, she _was_ drunk. Inebriated people tended to do things they wouldn't normally do. So, naturally, the kiss was just one of them, because why in the _world_ would Chika would want to kiss _her_ out of all people? You sighed. It felt like fate was playing a cruel joke on her—allowing her to kiss the girl she loved under these circumstances. She wondered if—

You blinked.

Did…did she just think of Chika as the girl she loved?

The realization slowly dawned on You, like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds. The thought ran around in her mind, over and over again. It was completely absurd but…it made sense. Why else would she be so in awe of Chika? Why else would she be so taken aback by Chika's beauty? And why else would she be so uncomfortable with the thought of Chika liking someone?

You took a deep breath, taking in that comforting scent of mikan, before holding Chika close to her body. It hurt, You realized, having the one she loved so close, yet so far away.

It hurt.

-X-

Before You knew it, two weeks whizzed past them. Chika didn't seem to remember the kiss—or, if she did, she was doing a _very_ good job at hiding it. You expected it, of course. Chika was drunk—drunk people ever hardly remembered anything. A part of You thought that if Chika didn't remember it, then somehow through some miracle, she would forget about it as well.

But she did remember. She remembered every single moment, and her thoughts often drifted to that night if she didn't force herself to focus enough. She remembered Chika's scent, Chika's warmth, and Chika's lips—

"You okay, You?"

You blinked and looked up, and saw Kanan's concerned face. It took a moment for You to gather herself, and when she did, she put on a smile and nodded.

"Yeah," she said a bit too exuberantly, "I'm fine."

Kanan didn't buy it. "Are you sure? You've been…a little off, lately."

You twirled her pencil in between her pencils, bouncing her knee underneath table. They were supposed to be doing their homework together, as all athletes needed to have a certain amount of hours of tutorial by the end of the month, but now You was finding it _very_ hard to focus on her work. She could never focus whenever Chika came across her thoughts.

"Positive," You said, her smile faltering ever so slightly. "I'm sure."

Kanan's frown deepened just a bit. "Are you sure? Did something happen between you and Chika?"

You felt her heart freeze. The sudden urge to spill everything to Kanan right then and there was strong, but You fought against it. What would she even tell Kanan anyways? That she kissed Chika? How would Kanan even _react_ to that? You knew Kanan well enough that she wasn't going to look down on her, but still….

"You?"

You decided to go with half of the truth. "Well…it's just that a friend of mine did something to me, and it seems that they don't remember what they did."

Kanan stared at her, nodding slowly as she seemingly processed the information. "And I'm assuming you want to talk about it?"

You's breath caught in her throat. _DId_ she want to talk about it with Chika? Surely, anyone else would have been counting their blessings if they were in her position. Because they would continue to act as if nothing ever happened, and their friendship would stay the same. A simple, normal relationship.

But she didn't a simple, normal relationship, You realized as a sinking feeling filled her chest. She wanted Chika to remember. She wanted Chika to understand the feelings she would never have the guts to say aloud. And, if any god would allow it, she wanted the slimmest chance of becoming something more with Chika available to her.

It was that realization that made You realize how deeply in love she was with Chika.

You flinched when she felt Kanan's thumb on her cheek.

"It must be affecting you a lot if you're crying about it," Kanan mumbled, her voice soft and gentle like a mother's. You blinked rapidly and brought up a hand to touch her cheek. She felt tears streaming down her face, and quickly wiped away with the back of her hand.

"Y-yeah," You muttered, trying to ignore her cracking voice, "I guess it has…."

"Nothing good will come out of it if you keep it hidden," Kanan added much more quietly. Her eyes, a vibrant shade of purple, suddenly dulled. You recognized it as a face of regret, as if Kanan was giving advice that she should have followed herself.

"So," You began slowly, pausing to sniffle, "I should talk to my friend about it?"

Kanan nodded.

"But how will I bring it up?"

Kanan pursed her lips, looking off to the side for a bit as she thought before looking back at You. "Just do it. Beating around the bush never helps anyone. Besides"—Kanan smiled playfully—"you're not someone that does that sort of thing, anyways. What's that thing you say? Full steam ahead?"

You let out a breath of amusement as she smiled genuinely for the first time that day.

"Yeah," she mumbled, "full steam ahead."

-X-

Walking alone with Chika was something You would ever describe as intimidating—until now.

They were taking their usual route to Chika's house, a routine the both of them did together on almost a daily basis. The both of them would normally take this time to let out everything that was on their chest, which often consisted of rants and complaints of an upcoming test or, in You's case, a competition. Their topics varied from light-hearted talks to dark confessions, but there was always an atmosphere of ease surrounding them—until now.

You uneasily cleared her throat to grab Chika's attention. "Chika-chan?"

"Mm, what is it, You-chan?"

"Can…can I ask you something?"

Chika slowed down her stride as she turned to look at You. "Sure."

"Do—uh—do you remember when we spent New Year's together?"

"Of course I do!" Chika grinned. "We had a lot of fun! Why?"

Cold sweat began to collect on the back of You's neck. "Do—do you remember what we did? On New Year's?"

"Well, you spent the night with us. And we were together for most of the time. I don't remember _exactly_ what happened, though."

You could feel her heart sink, the familiar feeling of disappointment weighing down on her. So Chika didn't remember the kiss after all. "I—I see."

"Did something bother you?"

"U-uh"—You cleared her throat—"what do you mean?"

A knowing smile crossed Chika's face. "You only get like this when something bothers you."

Despite herself, You let out an amused sigh escape her lips—she should have known Chika would have picked up on her strange behavior sooner or later. "Well," she began, "something like that."

Chika hummed thoughtfully for a bit. "Mm, is it because of the marriage joke Shima-nee said?"

"No, no. It's something else."

"Something else?"

You stopped and so did Chika, who looked at You with a mildly confused expression. You could feel her words threatening to fail her, but she forced them out.

"We kissed," she declared, her voice much clearer and much louder than she expected. Chika's eyes grew wide with surprise. You didn't know she was holding her breath until her lungs began to scream for air, but even then, she didn't dare to breathe. Something was preventing her from doing so. Perhaps it was fear, You thought to herself.

A fear that this might be the end of the longest friendship You ever had with anyone.

Suddenly, Chika broke into a grin, one that was a mix of understanding and amusement. "Well," she began, "I knew that."

You finally sucked in a breath. "What?" She breathed out, bewildered.

"I know that we kissed."

"Y-you know? You _know?"_

"Of course I do. I asked, after all."

"B-but you were drunk!"

"Just because I was drunk doesn't mean I can't remember anything."

"But you just said you don't remember exactly what happened."

"But I remember the _important_ things," Chika said with a laugh. She smiled as if this were another casual topic between them. Perhaps this _was_ just another casual topic, a part of You said.

But most of You knew that was a lie.

"So…why didn't you say anything about it? At all?" An edge was beginning to sharpen You's tone. It sounded hurt, betrayed, perhaps even a little anguished.

Chika's smile broke, light surprise taking its place. "Because you said you wouldn't hate me if I did it. So I didn't bring it up."

You blinked, slowly processing Chika's words. "I…guess you have a point," she finally said, the edge in her voice dulling.

"Did it bother you?"

"What did?"

"The kiss."

"No," You said as she shook her head. "Not at all."

Chika's eyebrows furrowed and her lower lip jutted out, an expression she wore whenever she knew that someone was lying straight to her face. "Liar."

A sheepish smile crawled onto You's face; hiding things from Chika was impossible. "Well, kind of…."

"You should have said something sooner." Chika's frown deepened. You didn't like it. A smile always suited Chika's face better.

"I didn't know how to bring it up," You said, looking off to the side. "You didn't say anything, so I thought you might have forgotten about it. Or wanted to forget about it. So I didn't say anything."

An understanding smile crossed Chika's face again. "I would never forget something like that, you know."

You let out a breath of amusement. "Well, now I know."

"I guess we need to be more honest with one another, then." Chika said with a laugh.

You gave one of her own. "Looks like it."

"I guess I can start with asking you why the kiss bothered you."

You raised her hand to rub the side of her neck. "Well, it wasn't the act of kissing you that bothered me. It was just…." You felt emotion bubbling in her throat, stopping her words.

"Just…?"

You couldn't find it in herself to answer right away. "I just wondered if our relationship changed because of it."

Chika blinked. "Why would it?"

"I dunno," You said with a one-shoulder shrug.

Chika laughed and shook her head, taking a step closer. You could feel Chika's body warmth, and her own temperature began to rise rapidly.

"Nothing is ever going to change us, okay?" Chika said, her voice so tender and so loving. Something bubbled in You's chest, aching her heart as it rose up and began to tickle the back of her eyes. She blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back before she looked at Chika. She wore a smile that matched her voice.

"Y-yeah," You managed to say. "Nothing's going to change."

Chika cupped You's cheek, her warm hand giving You something to find solace in. She leaned into Chika's touch and closed her eyes. She felt as if she was melting; her body relaxed, and her heart's weight wavered ever so slightly. You took a deep breath.

She wished she could stay like this forever.

"You're my best friend," You heard Chika say. "And I really love you, You."

You felt her heart lurch as she opened her eyes just a bit. Chika was looking at her with all the fondness in the universe, her beautiful red eyes glittering in the setting sun. They looked like rubies, You noticed. The thought made her smile.

"I love you, Chika," You found herself saying, her voice much quieter than she expected. "And nothing's going to change that, either."

But even as she said those words, You knew what she really wanted. She knew she wanted something to change between them. She knew she wanted something more to come out of this conversation. She knew she wanted to replace Chika's growing smile with her own lips. She knew she had to be more honest with Chika. She knew she had to be more honest with herself.

But that would be changing what they had right now. And You didn't want that.

All You wanted was Chika to be by her side, even if it left the bitterest of tastes underneath the sweetness.


End file.
